In many types of aircraft, particularly those utilizing multiple jet engines, the latter are mounted in an underslung position on the aircraft's wings. The engines or power units are normally surrounded by a streamlined, cylinder-like closure or nacelle. The latter is shaped to intake air at one end, which is guided to the jet engine, and then discharged through an exhaust port as hot gas.
It is also customary in aircraft design to position fuel tanks inside the aircraft wings. As a practical matter, locating fuel tanks near to the wing supported engines, facilitates metering of the fuel to control the engines.
Normally, when an aircraft has landed after a flight, and is to continue to another destination, common practice in the industry is to position a mobile refueling vehicle underneath, or adjacent to the aircraft wings. Thus, fuel can be pumped upwardly through a fuel hose at the underside of the wing, and into the wing tanks.
On occasion, due to a defect in fuel pumping equipment, or to human error or accident at the loading site, fuel under pressure will be discharged into the atmosphere and onto the ground. The released fumes, being lighter than air, will tend to rise. Raw fuel under pressure will be released into the surrounding area.
If the aircraft's engines have been operating within sufficiently hot temperatures to exceed the auto ignition temperature of the fuel vapor and mist contact of the vapors with such hot parts could trigger ignition. The ensuing flames and/or explosion could prompt injury or even death to personnel in the vicinity. The aircraft will also suffer damage or complete destruction in the conflagration.
Toward precluding this undesired eventuality, there is presently provided a flexible wall shroud member adapted to operate in conjunction with an aircraft refueling operation. The shroud is shaped such that it can be folded and stored conveniently when not in use. However, it can be readily opened and registered onto an engine nacelle.
The shroud is conformed that it will cover only the discharge end of an engine nacelle where hot gases are discharged into the atmosphere and where the engine parts retain the greatest heat. It thus furnishes a protective shield or provisional enclosure across the nacelle discharge port.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide means for safely permitting the transfer of vaporous fuel into an aircraft fuel tank, while minimizing the possibility of fuel vapor and/or mist ignition.
A further object is to provide a flexible wall closure which provisionally engages a portion of an aircraft engine nacelle, thereby defining a closure across the latter's discharge port which would otherwise allow access of vapor and fuel mist to hot engine parts.